Taking a step away from our usual content, this week, we had a one-on-one chat with Giulia Pepe, the Director of SlumAid (www.slumaid.org) a broad discussion about their work in the slums, difficulty in raising donor funds, the environment for civil society in India and the impact of the current COVID19 crisis on their work as well as broadly on the slums themselves.
Below is a summary transcript of the conversation. Full conversation can be found at this link- https://www.buzzsprout.com/1066219/3636328
SlumAid is a non-governmental organization based in the UK, that works on facilitating volunteer engagement in slums, especially in providing assistance in education and health sectors. In collaboration with the local NGOs that SlumAid partners with, volunteers are able to make a difference to the local communities. They work primarily in India-Mumbai (Bainganwadi slum) and Jaipur; and in Kenya-Nairobi (Mukuru slum) as these slums do not receive as much formal government assistance for their development as necessary. Volunteers not only directly help the communities but also spread the word and help in raising the funds for SlumAid projects.
Due to the COVID19 crisis, NGOs are restricted in their movement and have had to limit their operations. This complicates the situation for those living in the slums who are largely daily wage laborers unable to earn their living in the crisis. It is in this context of government assistance not reaching on time and limited mobility of the civil society that we explore the work of SlumAid and nature of work in the slums.
How does the work of SlumAid change with the current emergency?
In India and Kenya, SlumAid works facilitates teaching in local schools with the help of volunteers. The schools closed immediately from the start of the crisis. This was much needed to eliminate the risk, especially in areas like Baiganwadi slum, where the settlement is located next to dumping grounds. The proximity to the dumping grounds and the density of people in the slums can be a fertile ground for the spread of the virus and closure of the schools is necessary. This also means at the moment, that the local NGOs are not operating to reduce the risk of spread. However, the government assistance for communities does not reach all the citizens.
Further complicating the matter is the current climate of growing islamophobia in India. Giulia worries that the slums that have large Muslim populations, such as Bainganwadi, will not be able to receive equal assistance from the government. In this context, SlumAid is looking to assist families post crisis by supporting the affected children with school fees so that their education is not interrupted after the COVID19 crisis resolves.
Is there any scope for measures to continue education in slums or will we have to address the impact of COVID19 on education through post-crisis corrective measures?
In poor areas such as the slums, the measures will largely have to be corrective. Since the risk of disease spread is high, the current measures to restrict movement and close schools are necessary. But, the schools in slums are limited in their resources. Giulia mentions how the public schools are overcrowded and usually operate in shifts. Students living in the slums are unable to afford wifi and devices to continue their education. Parental engagement is also low as most parents are themselves uneducated and unable to assist their children, making it difficult to conduct educational operations in the crisis.
Are we looking at the threat of children going into the workforce to assist the families of informal workers whose livelihoods have been affected?
According to Giulia, the situation in the coming months will be hard for families. With the assistance of local NGOs, the fees required for schooling are small but even this amount could become a challenge for families. So, there is a fear that children may be forced into the workforce and as education is still prioritized according to gender, the risk of girls dropping out of schools is higher. But there also hope that the families in the slums are cognizant of the value of the education. Local NGOs have worked for over 40 years to bring awareness for education and it has paid off with people seeing the result of having educated children.
The real issue will be when families will have to prioritize food provision. The local NGOs can play a key role in monitoring the situation as they have communal trust with the people in slums that can help having a dialogue and understanding what the community needs are.
From your experience working with health and nutrition, what can be done in this crisis to mitigate the spread of the virus in the slums and to prevent future pandemics?
Speaking of advocacy to prevent spread of disease, Giulia stresses the importance of keeping in mind the cultural factors such as intergenerational contact with children, parents and grandparents living together. Although the government relies on NGOs in times of crisis, this kind of crisis is unique where the involvement of NGOs also causes a risk of disease spread. NGO advocacy in such scenarios is sensitive and one must act in accordance to what is possible and in collaboration with the government decisions, without risking the work of the NGO on the whole. For the future, Giulia says we need to start thinking of providing help with the limitation of the means. Currently, as the crisis took the world by surprise, all actors are still learning the best ways to help. In terms of mitigation actions, SlumAid is partnering with local charities in India to supply food to people. This will enable the recipients to stock food supplies while also limiting their movement.
Are there platforms for NGOs to voice their concerns to the government on behalf of the slum populations?
SlumAid does not directly work with the government and it has local partners that have more of a dialogue with the authorities. For foreign NGOs, it is a tricky situation as there is, at times, doubts regarding the motives of the NGO. People can be afraid that the NGO is looking to convert people or superimpose western values.
What are the barriers you face in implementing your projects?
Not surprisingly, the hardest battle is raising funds. Donor funds are very competitive and hard to get, and in terms of raising funds from the public, a frequently asked question is why the work is focused in helping other countries when there are several issues within the UK. With India projecting itself as a “rich” country, i.e. a country that is developed with aspects such as the space program, for example, people often question if foreign funds are even necessary. Giulia feels that there is a constant need to convince and justify the raising of funds for a country that is on the way to becoming modern.
Regarding volunteering for SlumAid:
We also spoke about the procedure for volunteering for the organization.
For anyone interested in volunteering, they can apply to the program with the application form that can be reached through this link : http://slumaid.org/application-form/
In India, the volunteers will engage in teaching the children from the slums but there is no requirement of prior teaching experience. The application is to ascertain your general suitability to volunteer.
The volunteers to SlumAid are welcome from any country. The organization does not ask for any fee from the volunteers. But the volunteers are required to pay for the travel and accommodation as well as take care of their own living costs. Suitable accommodation is recommended by the organization depending on safety. When in the slums, the volunteers are always accompanied by a trusted member from the local partner organization.
(All photos are the courtesy of SlumAid. )
Snakes & Ladders 
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